An Adventure in Forgiveness
by yesliterally
Summary: A deadly ten care pile-up fills the ORs at Seattle Grace and changes the lives of the hospital's newest attendings forever. A/I. Chapter 6 posted.
1. Chapter 1

**AN ADVENTURE IN FORGIVENESS**

_**So, I wasn't planning to write anything in the near future, but this story came to me and I had to write it. Plot-wise, it's nothing groundbreaking, but it's got my own personal twist, which I hope you will all enjoy. It won't be a super-long story, probably four or five chapters. **_

_**It takes place about three years after the end of season 6. **_

_**Let me know if you like it and if I should post the rest of it or not.**_

* * *

"**Life is an adventure in forgiveness" – Norman Cousins**

"So, we did it. We made it to the big leagues." Alex said, before taking a sip from his beer, smirk on his face.

"Bruises, scars and all," Cristina said, looking uncharacteristically introspective and happy.

Meredith sat in between her friends, giggling at the idea that they were finally done with their residencies. "Hey Joe!" she called. "How about a round of shots for Seattle Grace's newest attendings." The bartender nodded with a smile and got to work on the order.

"I can't believe we all made it. I mean, I knew I would, but the two of you, I wasn't sure." Cristina, more than a little tipsy, glanced at Meredith. "You almost drowned. You got shot," she moved her eyes over at the lone male in the group. "For a while there it was like that show _Survivor_, what with George dying and then Izzie hitting the road."

Meredith glared over at Cristina, then back at Alex who didn't seem phased by Yang's lack of tact. In fact, if you didn't know him you wouldn't think that it bothered him at all. But Meredith knew. Even after the moving on and the other women, even after he made sure that everyone knew he was past Izzie, Meredith knew that it still hurt him just a little bit to hear her name out loud.

Before she could scold her best friend, three shot glasses of tequila appeared in front of them. "It's on the house," Joe smiled at three of his best customers. "Congratulations, you guys."

"Thanks Joe." Meredith held her glass up, grateful for the distraction, and observed the amber liquid. "To making it. And to donning our pretty navy blue scrubs tomorrow!" Two glasses clinked against hers, the beginning of a blur of a night.

* * *

"Of course it's going to be slow today. Why can't there be a bridge collapse. Or a ..."

"Stop right there." Meredith looked up from the food on her plate. Cristina sat across from her looking a bit like a caged animal. "You know that if you finish that sentence, something major will happen and we'll all be up here of 72 hours straight. I want to get in an OR as much as you do, but I'd also like to see my bed at some point before the end of the week. That's one of the perks of being an attending, right? A better schedule?"

Alex plopped down into a chair, sandwich already in hand. "I don't know what you two are complaining about. I've been in the OR twice today already."

Cristina rolled her eyes. "Of course all the ankle biters are needing surgery."

"Bet you wish you'd thought more of pedes right about now." A gloating smile covered his face.

"Not on your life. I'm waiting for the good stuff."

Meredith watched the show going on around her with a smile on her face. Alex and Cristina's bickering never failed to keep her entertained.

"Well, while you're waiting for an interesting case, I'll just tell you about the extensive bowel repair that I've got on a four-year-old scheduled in three hours."

Cristina narrowed her eyes at him, when her pager began to buzz on her waist. She lit up instantly."Ha! 911 in the pit. Keep your little bowels to yourself, Karev. I've got lives to save." She stood up from the table.

As she began to walk away, two other pagers went off. "Guess we all get to get in on the fun, Cristina." Meredith said as she and Alex followed their friend to the elevator, ignoring the scowl on her face.

* * *

The doors to the first ambulance flew open as the doctors moved toward it, struggling on the ice that covered the ground.

"What have we got?" Alex helped the paramedics lift the gurney out of the ambulance. On it, surrounded by blankets lay a tiny screaming little girl.

"Infant female. Probably about a month old, maybe a little less, we're not exactly sure," the paramedic responded. "No LOC in the field. Possible internal injuries. Her left wrist seems a little tender. We couldn't tell if it was broken, but she hasn't stopped screaming."

Alex began examining the girl even before they got to the exam room. "Belly is slightly distended. Damn it." He gently picked her up and placed her on a hospital bed. Looking at an intern, he began barking out new orders. "Taylor! We need a crib for transfer. Get one down here right now. Call radiology. I want these scans started in fifteen minutes. "

"But what if -" the young woman said nervously.

Alex cut her off before she could start stuttering like an idiot. "I don't care what excuse they make. We're taking her up in ten, they'd better be ready for us! And page Torres. I want her to check out this wrist." He turned back to the child as the paramedic gathered her gear."Does she have a name?"

"The diaper bag that was stuck in the car had the name Madeline on it. They were still trying to extricate the mother, but the police hadn't found any ID. The car was smashed up pretty bad. They'll bring her here, I'm sure, if she makes it. She was unconscious with a pretty obvious head trauma."

"How many cars?" the doctor asked.

"In the pile up? Ten or so. Four people were declared at the scene already. May be more now."

"Thanks," he said as he focused all of his attention on the child in front of him. She was a pretty little girl with a little bit of light brown, almost blonde, hair on her head, and his heart couldn't help but break a little for her. "Hey Madeline. Or does your family call you Maddie, huh?" He began to examine her wrist and her cries turned into screams.

"Damn Karev, you make them cry at any age. Which wrist?" Callie walked in, pulling gloves on and immediately moved next to him.

"Very funny. It's the left one. It's definitely tender."

Callie lifted the arm only to have Madeline scream out in pain. "Oh, yeah. It's broken. Probably not badly, but it doesn't really matter when your this small. Other injuries?"

Alex looked up at the other doctor, nodding. "We're going to head up to radiology as soon as my intern gets back with a crib. Belly is hard. Probably some internal bleeding."

Looking back over the child, Callie shook her head. "God. Scary. What's her name?"

"Madeline, at least that's what the paramedic called her. Saw the name on a diaper bag at the scene. Mom's still in the car. Probably won't make it, though, by the sound of things."

"That sucks."

At that moment, the young intern re-entered the exam room, rolling a crib behind her. "CT's ready for her."

Alex looked at Callie. "You going to have to set it?"

"Probably, but if you're going to have to put her under anyway I'll do it then. It'll be less traumatic. Go on up to radiology and add an x-ray of the arm, and I'll meet you in OR 3."

Alex was already placing the girl in the crib and backing out of the room. "We'll page you."

* * *

Meredith shivered in the cold as she waited for the third ambulance. Alex had taken an infant up to raidology. Cristina had rushed a truck driver into an OR. He was in cardiac arrest, which was likely the cause of the massive pile up. Now she was just waiting for a woman who'd had to be extricated with the jaws of life. Paramedics reported significant head trauma. Her first case as a neuro attending.

Finally the rig screeched to a halt in front of her. The doors opened.

"Isobel Stevens, 33, obvious head trauma, prolonged extrication. ..."

Her eyes went wide as she looked up at the face of the woman on the gurney. "Oh my God! Izzie!" They quickly rushed the patient into the ER, and Meredith began yelling instructions to the nurses and interns. "Someone stat page Dr. Shepard. And Dr. Bailey. 911." Then she turned back to the paramedic on the other side of the gurney. "Did she regain consciousness at all?"

The man nodded. "Once. She called out for Maddie. There was a child in the car with her."

"What?" Her forehead wrinkled with confusion.

"A baby was in the car, in the back seat."

Meredith shook her head, trying to comprehend what the paramedic was saying. "Are you sure they were in the same car. It was a pile up, right?"

"They were definitely in the same car. They told us they were bringing the baby here."

"Holy crap," the doctor muttered under her breath as she began to examine the woman that she hadn't seen in more than three years. Within a few minutes, Derek and Bailey rushed in and the paramedic disappeared.

"What have you g ..." Bailey's voice faded out as she saw who was laying on the table. "Oh my God!"

Derek looked at his wife, her eyes betraying her skills. He immediately took over as relief washed over Meredith's face. "What's her ICP?"

"Don't know yet," she said, trying to catch her breath. "We're waiting on a monitor."

"Get it now!" Derek directed his voice toward a first year resident. "And let CT know that we're coming up."

Bailey scanned the vitals. "We need to intubate her. Her resps are low. She's not getting much oxygen." They all began to rush around, each one doing the job that they knew by heart, but were now second guessing at each decision.

Bailey stood above her head, ready to intubate, when Izzie's mouth opened slightly. "M-maddie," she whispered, eyes never opening.

"Izzie? Izzie? Can you open your eyes?" Bailey tried to talk to her, but she didn't move again. Monitors suddenly started blaring. "Damn it. Stats are dropping." In moments, Izzie had the tube down her throat, and her vitals had rebounded.

Meredith let out breath she didn't know she was holding.

"All right, let's move her. Now." Derek directed the bed, with the help of some of the nurses toward the elevator, leaving Meredith and Bailey behind in the exam room.

"Meredith." Bailey looked at her former intern with concern. "Who's Maddie?"

Without saying a word, Meredith's eyes met the other woman's, willing her to understand, wordlessly begging her not to make her say it out loud.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Should I continue? Let me know in the REVIEW section!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN ADVENTURE IN FORGIVENESS**

**Chapter 2**

_**More than 20 reviews in less than one day! That's amazing and very much appreciated! So happy you all are, for the most part, enjoying this. You'll find out more about Madeline and the circumstances around her birth in this chapter. Also, Robbie's back!**_

_**Please read the note at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

"I heard the mother came in with brain trauma. You scrubbing in on that one Grey?"

Meredith turned, startled to find Callie scrubbing out beside her. She had been watching the baby's surgery from the dimly lit scrub room. Or rather she had been watching Alex. She hadn't even realized that Callie had walked away from the table after casting the little girl's arm.

"Uh, no," she shook her head. "Derek is. The patient needed someone with more experience."

Callie narrowed her eyes at the younger woman, clearly not able to make sense of her giving up that surgery. "What are you talking about? You're a rock star at neuro. You could have handled it."

Still not taking her eyes off of Alex and the baby, she whispered. "It's Izzie."

"I'm sorry ... what did you say?" Callie stood confused by Meredith's revelation.

"The patient. The patient lying in Derek's OR is Izzie."

The tense silence went on for several minutes until Cristina pushed the door open with a frustrated groan. "I'm seriously over these fat old geezers eating themselves to death. The old guy croaked ten minutes in. Not surprising though. He weighed 300 pounds. There was enough plaque in his arteries to -" She paused as she noticed the look on the other two women's faces. "What's going on?"

Meredith took a deep breath, still staring out into the OR. "It's Izzie," she repeated.

Cristina was confused. "What about her?"

"She was the woman in the car with the baby."

"Oh my God! Is she going to be okay? Why aren't you operating?"

She shook her head. "I gave the surgery to Derek. He says it's touch and go."

It took Cristina a minute to process this information. "So, wait? What was she doing with a baby in her car? She can't have babies, remember? She was treated with high dose IL-2. It's impossible. Do you think she adopted?"

"No," Meredith said stoically. "When I examined her, there were signs of recent childbirth."

"So what? She has some miracle baby?"

"The embryos." The words came out as a whisper, like a top-secret CIA operation.

"What?" Cristina and Callie asked simultaneously.

Taking a deep breath, Meredith opened her mouth and the words just spilled out. "In the divorce, Alex gave her custody over the embryos. He told me. He didn't want to, but he didn't want to draw it out any longer. He just wanted it over. The whole thing. He was in so much pain over the whole thing and so was Izzie. He just wanted to be able to move on. So he let her have them."

Shock was apparent on Cristina's face. "So Alex is ..."

"Oh my God," Callie interrupted slowly, her eyes catching Cristina's.

Meredith nodded, still not looking away from the child on the table. "He's operating on his own daughter."

* * *

"You have to tell him."

Meredith and Cristina watch through the window of the nursery as Alex jotted some post-op notes on the baby girl's chart. Meredith sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Why do I have to tell him?"

"Well, for starters, you were the one who examined Izzie and you were the one called Portland to confirm and you're the one who put the pieces together. Plus, you're Meredith and he's Alex and you two are like Cindy and Bobby Brady or whatever."

With an eyebrow raised, Meredith shook her head slightly. "I don't know if I can. Plus Izzie's still in surgery."

"That is exactly my point. The second he walks out of that nursery, he's going to ask you about the mother. The only reason he hasn't already is because we avoided him on purpose." Cristina stared down her person. "Look, once he finds out who the mother is, you won't have to say any more. He'll know. You know he will."

Meredith took this into consideration, focusing on her hands for what seemed like an eternity. She finally looked back up into her friend's eyes. "He can take better care of the baby by not knowing. Plus, it's Izzie's decision. Not ours."

Cristina's eyes suddenly widened as something behind Meredith caught her attention. Then she felt it, his presence behind her. Alex.

"What's Izzie's decision? What the hell are you talking about?" His voice was gruff and suddenly heavy with emotion.

Slowly Meredith turned around to face him. She tried avoiding his eyes, but he wouldn't allow it. He looked furious or scared or something in between. He wanted answers about what he'd just overheard, that was obvious on his face, and she couldn't blame him. And she couldn't hide anymore. She had to tell him.

"Alex. I just ..."

"Spit it out, Mere. What's going on with Izzie that you're afraid to tell me."

"She was in the car." He shook his head, confused about what she was saying. She sighed and it came flooding out. "The car. With the baby, she was the one driving. She called out for Maddie while I was examining her. The baby's name is Madeline, right?"

He nodded numbly, face going pale, the truth finally sinking in.

"When I was examining her, there was obvious signs of recent childbirth. We got her chart from her hospital in Portland. She had the baby a little over a month ago. She's still in surgery with Derek, and we don't know ..."

Thrusting the chart he'd been holding into Cristina's hands as he pushed past both of them, he headed toward the stairs. "Get Robbins on her case," he mumbled, barely audible to the two women.

* * *

"It's freezing out there. He's not even wearing a lab coat. He'll get hypothermia."

"Meredith, will you just give the guy a break!" Cristina rolled her eyes as her friend paced back and forth, staring out the window at Alex who had sought silent refuge on a bench at the entrance to the hospital. "He just found out that he's a father. Izzie might not make it and he had no idea. He needs time."

Meredith sighed, plopping down in a chair angled so she could keep an eye on him. "I know. I know. It's just ... What if she doesn't make it. Is he supposed to become insta-dad? To a little girl that he didn't even know existed like ten minutes ago? He's done so well since the shooting. I just don't want that to change."

"He's dealing. He is. " On Meredith's dubious look, she continued, staring down at her hands. "And yeah, I think he would be a good dad. You think so too."

The other woman nodded. A silence engulfed them as the nervous energy buzzed in the air. Meredith looked up and back out the window. "Oh God."

Cristina looked up at her. "What?" Meredith pointed out the window to where a frantic looking Robbie Stevens was rushing up toward the hospital. Both women held their breaths as she moved past Alex without notice.

The elder Ms. Stevens entered the building and looked around, honing in on Meredith and Cristina. "Excuse me, doctors? I'm looking for my daughter. She was in a car accident. Izzie Stevens. She used to work here. And ..."

"Ms. Stevens." Meredith interrupted. "You must not remember us. We were friends of Izzie's. We met you briefly when you were here last time. I'm Meredith Grey and this is Cristina Yang."

A look of recognition appeared in her brown eyes. "Oh ... oh. Of course. Meredith and Cristina. I'm sorry. I'm just... I'm a mess. I got the call and I just started driving. It took me too long. Where is she? Izzie? And my granddaughter. Are they both okay? They wouldn't tell me over the phone. They wouldn't tell me anything." The doctors attempted to quiet her, but the panic in her voice just increased as tears spilled over her cheeks. "My psychic told me something bad was coming, but things were going so well. I just ..."

"Robbie!"

All three women turned at the sound of Alex's voice behind them. Meredith didn't know when he had become aware of his former mother-in-law's presence, but there he was standing just inside the automatic doors, the only one able to shut the woman up.

"Alex," she whispered, her hand covered her mouth. She couldn't meet his eyes.

The tension in the air was thick and Meredith and Cristina suddenly felt out of place. "We'll go check on Izzie and see if she's out of surgery. We'll let you know when we find anything out," Cristina said, grabbing Meredith by the elbow and making a quick exit.

For a time, Alex and Robbie just stood there in awkward silence. Finally he placed his hand on her shoulder and ushered her to a corner of the lobby where they could talk without being the center of the next Seattle Grace gossip cycle.

Sitting down across from her, he sighed. "The baby is fine. She had some internal bleeding and a broken wrist, but we stopped the bleeding and the head of ortho put a cast on her arm. She should recover quickly. Babies that young are remarkably resilient."

Robbie nodded and finally looked him in the eyes. "Alex," she started but he cut her off.

"She's mine, isn't she."

"Yes."

He ran his hand down his face, not knowing whether to be relieved or scared or angry. All those emotions, and then some, were bubbling beneath the surface, manifesting themselves in utter confusion.

"She was on her way to tell you. That's why she was in Seattle. When she decided to have the baby, she was clear that she wanted to do it alone. That she could handle it. She knew you had moved on and didn't want to be a burden on you anymore. So she went through with the procedure. She had an easy pregnancy and she seemed happy. But in the delivery room, she was inconsolable. She never said it, but I knew. Her eyes said she wanted you there. When they put Maddie in her arms, she just looked so much like you. I thought for a minute she might actually pick up the phone right then and call you. But she didn't. I'm not sure why, but yesterday, she up and decided that you had to know. She wanted you to meet your daughter. Just ... not like this." Tears again began to well up in Robbie's eyes as Alex fought the same from his own.

"I wish she had called earlier." Alex spoke softly as he leaned forward and looked at his hands. "When I signed the divorce papers, when I gave Izzie custody of the embryos, it killed me. I just did it because I thought that was what she wanted. I didn't want to draw the process out any longer than I already had. We'd just ... we'd hurt each other so much and I just wanted it over and done. ... Except..."

The beeping of his pager kept him from saying anymore. He glanced down at the screen. "She's out of surgery and in recovery. Dr. Shepard wants to talk to you."

* * *

_**So, yes. Madeline is Alex's daughter. I know several of you thought it would be cliché. Maybe, but so is most of the fan fiction world if you think about it. If you don't like where the story is going, then stop reading. No big deal. However, I have a plan. **_

_**If you want to continue to read, I'd love to know in the REVIEW section.**_


	3. Chapter 3

AN ADVENTURE IN FORGIVENESS

**Chapter 3**

_**Only two chapters in and nearly 60 reviews! You guys are fantastic! Really, I am shocked at the response to this one. I'm glad you all are enjoying this story. I'm enjoying writing it, so it is a win-win situation, I suppose. Don't forget to let me know what you think after you read this one!**_

* * *

"She sustained significant blunt force trauma to the head. There was significant swelling, but I was able to drain the blood and stop the bleeding. Our biggest concern now is keeping her inter-cranial pressure stable..."

Derek continued to talk to Robbie, giving her the details on her daughter's condition, but all Alex could do was look down at the woman lying in the hospital bed. How many times had he seen her like this after surgery, spending hours sitting in the chair next to her, holding her hand, pacing the floor. It was like a step back in time. But that had been another lifetime ago. He hadn't spoken to her in years. And they had a child together that he hadn't known about when he woke up that morning.

"... The next few hours are critical. I'm going to ease up on the sedation and check for brain activity. Once we find out if there is any activity, then we'll try to get her to wake up."

Robbie looked horrified at the prospect. "What if she doesn't?"

Meredith, who had been standing next to her husband the whole time looked Robbie in the eyes and began to speak. "With injuries like this, it's not uncommon for the patient to go into a coma. It's like the body's way of taking time to heal."

"But how ... how long are we talking? A few hours? Days?"

"Sometimes," Derek began. "Sometimes comas can last months. In rare cases it can be longer. It's not too common, but at this point, all we can do is wait. It's up to Izzie now."

"What about Maddie? She's just a baby." The older woman was clearly beginning to panic.

Meredith glanced back at Alex, who was still staring at his ex-wife. "Ms. Stevens, we don't know what's going to happen. She might wake up in a few hours. Maddie is in the nursery and being well taken care of by the doctors and nurses. Let's worry about Izzie right now."

Robbie nodded and then moved to her daughter's bedside, grabbing her hand and weeping. Meredith and Derek moved toward the door, Meredith pausing to place a gentle reassuring hand on Alex's arm.

After they left, the three of them were left alone. Alex watched in silence as Robbie softly spoke to her daughter. "Mama's here, baby girl. I know that you're all grown up now, but you're still my little girl. And I'm going to stay right here until you wake up and assure me that everything is fine. You're not alone."

At those words, something pulled at Alex's heart. He knew where he was supposed to be, but it wasn't in Izzie's recovery room in the ICU. Slowly he backed out the door and headed across the hospital.

* * *

The nursery was quiet, with just a few nurses watching over the sleeping children. They left him alone as he approached the crib where the little girl ... where Madeline ... where his daughter ... was sleeping peacefully.

And it scared the hell out of him.

What if he'd made a mistake while he was operating. What if he'd tied off the wrong vessel. What if he had prescribed the wrong medication. He could have done any of those things and wouldn't have known until it was too late.

It made him angry. Angry at Izzie for not telling him, even though that was part of the agreement. Angry at himself for agreeing to those terms of the divorce in the first place. Angry at Meredith for not telling him as soon as she knew. Angry at that damn overweight truck driver for having a massive coronary on the interstate and injuring his daughter. And angry at his father for not teaching him how to be a good one.

He looked down and reached into the crib. Rubbing his index finger along Maddie's soft cheek, he finally took a good look at her. She had Izzie's ears and nose, but the rest of her was Karev, of that there was no doubt. In fact, she reminded him a little of his sister when she was a baby.

At that moment, the baby stirred. Opening her eyes, she looked up at him. For a moment he thought she looked annoyed, like he had woken her up from a wonderful dream. He remembered seeing that same expression on Izzie's face on more than one occasion.

"Hey there, little one." He wanted to say more, but his voice caught in his throat and he felt a little like he couldn't breath.

Suddenly, Maddie's chin began to quiver which quickly turned into a full on wail.

"Whoa. Hey, hey, it's okay." He was a little embarrassed that he couldn't make her stop crying. He was a pediatric surgeon. He should know how to turn her off. Alex looked around for back up, but found that all the nurses were occupied. Glancing all directions, he leaned in over the crib and lifted the child from the cushion, careful to avoid the inscription he'd stitched up earlier.

Pulling the child closer, he sat down in a nearby rocking chair. The cries lowered into a whimper as he began to rock her back an forth and talk to her quietly. "Hey Maddie. So, um, don't freak out or anything, but I'm your dad. Which is weird, considering I haven't seen your mom in about three years. But, we'll explain all that to you when you're older. Like when you're thirty. It's a long confusing story. I don't really understand all of it myself." The child quieted at her father's voice as she stared up at the man, watching him with eyes wide. "Speaking of your mom, they're trying to wean her off of the sedation. Dr. Shepard says that things look good, but that we have to wait and see. But if anyone can save her, he can. In fact he already has once before. Plus, she has to get better." He looked up not knowing if he was talking to the girl or trying to convince himself. "She has to."

The pair sat in silence for a while, and Alex realized that there was no going back. He couldn't have a life without this child in it. He wouldn't let her be alone.

He was surprised to look up from her and find Cristina watching them from the doorway with a slight smile. "Looks like you two are getting along just fine."

He shrugged a shoulder, unable to keep the smirk off his face. "Yeah, I guess."

"Don't worry she'll hate you by the time she's thirteen."

"Thanks for the encouragement."

Cristina moved closer to them and stared down at the child. A chuckle fell from her mouth as she gently rubbed the Maddie's left hand. "She looks like you." A burp rang from the little girls mouth, which brought a full on belly laugh from the dark-haired doctor. "Yep, she's definitely your kid. Any word on Izzie?"

He sighed and began to repeat the prognosis to her.

* * *

The room was empty, aside from the woman lying in the bed, hooked up to monitors and machines. It had been several hours since Dr. Shepard had taken Izzie off the sedation and still, she slept. Dr. Bailey had come by and convinced Robbie to go the cafeteria to eat something. Only after she had left, did Alex find his way through the doorway.

Moving slowly toward her, he took in the sight of his ex-wife again. Without the distraction of other doctors or Robbie, he was able to truly look at her. Her head was wrapped in a bandage. She had several deep lacerations on her pale face, which had been stitched up. Other than that, she looked the same.

Reaching out, he softly touched her uncut cheek, and the memories came flooding back. Both good and bad. He pulled his hand back, breaking the contact. But he sat down on the stool next to the bed and began to speak.

"Iz. It's me. Alex." He hesitated before he could continue. "Robbie's here too. Bailey took her to get something to eat though. She looked like she was going to pass out. She, uh, she told me everything. About Maddie."

"She going to be okay. I .. I operated on her earlier. She had a little bit of internal bleeding in her abdomen. It was pretty straightforward with no complications. She also has a broken wrist. Torres says it's barely more than a hairline fracture, but with Maddie being so small ... anyway, she put it in a cast and it should heal quickly. After I found out I handed her case over to Arizona."

Pausing, he looked away from her for a minute. "She's beautiful, Iz. I wish you would have called me. I know that wasn't part of the agreement. But I wish you had at least told me about your plans. I wouldn't have stopped you. You have to have known that. I told you before that I wanted you to be happy. I know she makes you happy. She makes me happy, too."

"It's been over three years. I'm past the point of being angry about everything that happened back then. Your mom said you were bringing her to meet me. I'm glad. I want to be part of her life. When you wake up we'll talk about it. Figure something out. Until then, I'll ... " He felt tears welling in his eyes. "I'll take care of her. You just work on getting yourself better. She needs you to get better. So does Robbie. We ... we all do. But fight for Maddie. I know you've got it in you. You've done it before."

He sat there in silence for nearly an hour until Derek appeared next to her bed. He looked over and met Alex's eyes. "No change. Her brain activity looks good. But she's not coming out of it at the moment. It's not abnormal. We'll just have to be patient."

"Yeah," was all Alex could say.

* * *

**So what do you still think? Keep going? **

**Next chapter may surprise some of you, but just trust me, please! Let me know what you are thinking in the Review section!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN ADVENTURE IN FORGIVENESS**

**Chapter 4**

_**Thanks to all of you who have given me some awesome insights in your comments. I love reading them and it just makes me want to write even more. Here we go with chapter 4. This one was a little difficult to get right. But I think I got it to where I want it. Hope you enjoy it!**_

* * *

"Daddy! I'm home!"

Alex looked up from the medical journal laid out in front of him on the kitchen table. A blonde-haired blur ran through the doorway toward him. Greeting his daughter with a hug and a kiss, he lifted her up onto the table top so that they were eye level with each other. "Hey baby. How was preschool?"

"I made a picture, Daddy."

Robbie slipped in quietly behind her granddaughter watching the familiar scene unfold.

"Did you?" Maddie nodded and held up a colorful crayon drawing that looked more like modern abstract art than anything he could decipher. "Can you tell me about it?"

She turned the picture so that she could see it and started pointing to blobs on the page. "There's me and you and Nana Robbie and mommy."

He smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "It's beautiful, kiddo."

"Is Lydia's party tomorrow?"

He laughed at his daughters ability to jump subjects like no one he'd ever known except her mother. "Yep. We'll go over to Aunt Meredith and Uncle Derek's about lunchtime. Okay?"

She sighed. "That's forever away," the girl said dramatically. She started climbing down from the table, expression changing back to a smile. "I'm going to take my picture to mommy."

"Okay. Be careful." Maddie disappeared out of the kitchen and Alex looked up at Robbie.

"Her teachers love her. She's got them wrapped around her fingers." Alex nodded, knowing that his daughter had a way of doing that to people. "How was work?" She moved to make herself a cup of coffee, comfortable with her surroundings, but clearly bothered by something. She wasn't looking Alex in the eye, which she only did when something was troubling her.

"It was fine. With Arizona on vacation it was busier than usual, but not too bad. "

She sat on a stool at the island and turned to face him. "Oh that's right. I forgot that they were taking a trip. They went to Miami, right? To visit Callie's family?"

"Yep. They'll be back next week though." He studied his ex-mother-in-law and could tell something was amiss. "What's going on, Robbie?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Alex. I'm fine. I'm just ... Betty told me that this was going to be a rough year ..." Alex rolled his eyes at the mention of her long-time psychic friend. "She's got me spooked."

Staring her down, Alex pushed for answers. "You aren't looking at me. It's not something Betty told you. You've lived here long enough for me to know when you're lying to me. Now look at me and spill it."

Robbie looked a little shocked at his demand, but she knew when she was beat. "Okay. Fine. It's this." She walked over to where she had put Maddie's book bag. Unzipping it, she pulled out a piece of paper. Silently she handed it to him.

_Bring Your Mother to School Day_

_The three year old class at Miss Lily's Preschool  
wants to invite all of the mother's to join us for  
a special day of food, gifts and games._

_Friday from 9am to noon._

Alex gulped as he read it. He had known that this would happen eventually, now that Maddie was in school.

"You know I'd be willing to go, but Elenor ..."

He shook his head. "No, Robbie don't change your plans. You're sister is expecting you. I'll see if Cristina or Meredith can do it."

The woman laughed slightly at the comment. "Right. Cristina's due to give birth any day, plus let's face it, a whole bunch of kids running around yelling and screaming aren't really going to help her mood any. Meredith has Lydia and Tyler."

He shrugged. "I'll tell her to bring the kids over here and I'll watch them while she goes with Maddie. She won't mind."

"I know she won't. I just ... I wish ..."

Alex just nodded and watched as an emotional Robbie excused herself from the room. Leaning back in his chair, he rubbed his temple. It had been a difficult three and a half years for her. For all of them really, and it showed very few signs of changing anytime soon.

He slowly got up and made his way to the study, which had been converted into a makeshift hospital room for his ex-wife. There he found the scene exactly as he expected. Maddie, with her blonde pigtails and big brown eyes, was sitting on the edge of Izzie's bed chattering to her mother, but careful to avoid the wires and cords. But there was never a response from the woman lying in the bed.

"Daddy, does Mommy like my picture?" The girl suddenly asked, innocently.

Alex smiled as she swung her legs back and forth off the side of the bed. "Yep, I'm sure she does. Why don't we hang it up with all the others?"

Maddie nodded. "Daddy? Will Mommy be able to come to school on next Friday?"

Her question surprised him, because he hadn't known that Robbie had mentioned it. Or maybe it was her teacher. Regardless, it put him in a situation he hadn't been in before. One he didn't like being in at all. "Um, I don't think so, baby. Maybe Aunt Meredith can go with you. Would you like that?"

She shrugged her shoulders and hopped off the bed, letting the picture in her lap float to the ground and halfway under the night stand. Looking up at him with tear-filled eyes, Maddie spoke quietly to her father. "I want my Mommy." The tears began to fall with force.

Her cries were worse than any pain he'd ever felt ... worse than having his wife almost die and then walk out on him, worse than being shot. He would have given anything to make her stop. Scooping her up in his arms, he sat down in the chair across the room and rocked her back and forth like he had on the day he first met her.

Robbie had been the one who had to make the decisions six months after the accident. Derek explained that while her body and her brain was functioning normally, Izzie wasn't waking up. There was no real reason for the coma that could be explained medically. She wasn't on life support. She was just sleeping, essentially. The thought of putting Izzie in a nursing home was unacceptable, to both Robbie and Alex. Robbie's plan was to take her and Maddie back to Chehalis, so that she could care for them.

Alex wouldn't hear any of it. By that point, the little girl had completely stolen his heart and he couldn't imagine losing her again. It took some doing, but he managed to convince his former mother-in-law that Izzie needed to stay near Dr. Shepard in case there were any changes. Meredith helped him convince her by basically giving him the house when she and Derek moved out. There would be plenty of room for all four of them after that.

He told himself that he was only doing it for Maddie, but the truth was that he didn't want anyone else caring for Izzie. She was the mother of his child and he needed her alive for that reason. And he had loved her once. Had let her love him. He still cared about her. He just needed her to get better for Maddie's sake.

Before long, Maddie had drifted off to sleep in his arms and her soft snoring brought him back from his thoughts of the past several years. Standing up he carried her up the stairs and placed her in her bed in the room that used to belong to her mother, knowing that she'd never go to sleep at night with a long afternoon nap. He would have to deal with that later.

* * *

Rain and a child's birthday party did not mix. Alex came to this conclusion very early into Lydia Shepard's 2-year celebration. He shook his head as Meredith, Derek and Owen tried to corral thirteen children, ages 2-12 in a game of pin the tail on the donkey in the middle of their living room. Derek had been the one to suggest they invite all of Lydia's aunts and uncles and cousins from back east. When she found out that every single branch of Derek's family had accepted the invitations, saying it was "part of a family vacation to the west coast," Meredith had nearly had a coronary. As it was, Alex knew that Derek had been sent to sleep on the couch in the den in order to make sure that the 9, 10, and 12 year-old boys sleeping there didn't destroy any part of the house.

"Derek's never getting any, ever again." He glanced over as Cristina, sitting in the overstuffed chair nearby, spoke. "No more sex for McDreamy."

Alex chuckled, knowing that she was probably right, at least for a while. "Makes me glad Maddie doesn't have any cousins. We keep her parties small."

"This kid," she pointed to her bulging belly, "Isn't going to have birthday parties. Or if he does, it'll be at one of those play parks where all I have to do is show up. Pay someone to wrangle the ankle biters."

He just shook his head without a word, watching carefully as Maddie took her turn with the plastic donkey tail. Meredith spun her round and round and the girl proceeded to pin the tail on the donkey's front leg. Pulling off the blindfold, she looked and giggled. Turning to look at her father, she grinned. "Look Daddy. The donkey looks silly!"

Soon, the game broke up and Derek and Owen ushered the kids and the other adults to the dining room.

Alex followed Meredith to the kitchen, leaving Cristina sitting alone enjoying the relative quiet.

Frantically gathering pink and white plates and napkins, Meredith looked exhausted from playing hostess. "I suck at this. Seriously, Derek is going to pay for this one."

"Mere, you need to breathe," he said as he grabbed the plastic utensils out of a bag. "Sure, you've got a house full of Shepards, but the party is going fine. All you have left to do is feed them cake, which should keep them quiet for about ten seconds, and then have Lydia open her presents."

"I want them out of my house!" she exclaimed, tossing her hair back.

He stared at his frustrated friend. "How much longer are they staying?"

"They leave tomorrow morning."

"So you survive another 20 hours," he said. "Then you can kill the Martha Stewart act. Really, it isn't you."

Taking a second to act insulted, Meredith then watched Alex for a second. "Izzie was always so good at these things. She would be so helpful right about now." Alex's smile wavered and he looked away. Meredith immediately regretted the comment. "Sorry. I just ..."

"No. You're right. She'd love this. It's just," he paused and reached in his pocket. "Maddie got this at school yesterday." He places the "bring your mother to school" invitation on the granite counter top.

Meredith read it and looked up at him. "Does Maddie know about it?"

"Apparently her teacher mentioned it. She asked me about it. She asked if Izzie would be able to go with her." He sighed and folded the paper back up. "I knew that stuff like this would come up at school. I just didn't think it would be so soon."

"Well you can't keep her out of school, is important."

"I know. But you didn't see her staring up at you with tears in her eyes saying she wanted her mommy. She doesn't understand and I ... I just don't know how to explain it to her any clearer than we already have. Sometimes I wondering if we're doing the right thing."

"With Izzie?"

"Yeah."

She sighed. "Alex, you are doing the right thing. I know it doesn't seem like it, sometimes. But what else would you do? Stop feeding her? Give her an overdose of something?" She just let that question hang in the air for a moment as she pulled the cake from the fridge. "Look, I know this is difficult. But you are doing a great job with Maddie. She worships the ground you walk on. Plus, you heard what Derek said last week. Izzie's had some really positive signs. It's just a matter of time." Knowing when to change the subject, she pointed to another bag on the floor. "Grab the candles."

Alex did as he was asked and began placing them on the princess cake gently. "I know. I just wish it would happen faster."

"Do you want me to go to the thing at school? I'm not mom, but Aunt Meredith is the next best thing." She back tracked, realizing what she had said. "Unless Robbie wants to go."

He shook his head. "She'll be out of town. Going to Texas to see her sister. You really don't mind?"

Meredith grabbed a lighter from the junk drawer and lit the two candles. "You were going to ask me anyway, right? Of course I don't mind. You know I don't. In fact, I'd love to."

"Thanks," he sighed in relief. "I appreciate it. If you said no, Cristina was next."

She raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Ha! I should say no, then, just to make you ask her. But only if I could film her reaction."

Alex picked up the cake, they moved to rejoin the party in the dining room. "No way. You already agreed. Can't take it back. Plus, I'm a little bit afraid of super-hormonal pregnant Cristina."

"Me too."

* * *

**So, that's chapter 4. I know I said this would be a four or five chapter story, but I'm almost done with chapter 5, and I'm no where near finished with this story. Hope you don't mind it being longer than I planned.**

**Let me know if you like it in the Review section. I love to hear from you guys.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN ADVENTURE IN FORGIVENESS**

**Chapter 5**

_**Totally overwhelmed with the response to this story. You guys are really spoiling me, but I love it! In celebration of hitting 100 reviews (in 4 chapter!), I decided to give you all a gift. I'm posting this chapter sooner than I planned. I'm not as far along on chapter 6 as I'd like to be, so you may have to be patient after you read this one, but I thought since you guys have been so great, I'd get this posted.  
**_

_**I know that some of you were concerned about the time jump. Just know that I expected that and have a plan. In fact, this entire story is outlined and ready to go, I just have to write it (which is always the hardest part.)**_

_**This a turning point chapter, so read on … Hope you enjoy it!**_

* * *

"Your mom got back from Texas late last night. Said your Aunt is just as crazy as ever, which let's face it, Iz, says a lot coming from Robbie." Changing her feeding tubes and checking the machines that monitored his ex-wife's condition had become daily routine for Alex. As he always did, he talked to her while he worked, filling her in on what was going on around them. "Cristina hates maternity leave, but she's absolutely in love with Leo. You'd be surprised at how she's handling him. I didn't think she had it in her, but she managed to find her motherly instinct. I thought she'd never forgive him for being a week late and nearly 10 pounds, but she glows when she holds him. It's like she's a different person."

"Maddie drew you another picture at school today. She's getting pretty good at it, Iz. You'd be proud." He paused and looked down at the sleeping woman. "She needs you. She's starting to ask questions, Izzie. She doesn't understand why her Mommy can't get up and play with her or go to school things. Meredith had to take her to 'bring your mom to school day.' They had fun, but I know it wasn't the same. It's not fair to her, Iz."

He was having trouble keeping his emotions in tact because the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He wasn't angry at her, but at the situation. His daughter was growing up without her mother and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. Still, he kept his voice steady. "You're stubborn, you know that. And selfish. You should be trying a little harder to come out of this thing. I'm the one having to explain it to her. A little help would be nice."

As his temper flared with frustration, he paid less attention to what he was doing. He was about to add medication to her IV, when he lost his grip on the bottle. It hit the hardwood breaking open and spilling across the floor. "Damn it!"

Kneeling to clean up the mess, a long line of curses began to spill out of his mouth. His words weren't loud, but they were loud enough that he almost missed it. His voice stilled at what he thought he heard. A noise from above him. Instantly standing up, he moved close to Izzie's bed.

"Iz, did you say something? Talk if you can, Izzie."

Slowly her mouth opened. "Shhhhhhhhhh. Loud." Her voice was raw, slow and almost inaudible, but it was there.

His heart was pounding in his chest as she began to shift around slightly. He placed his hands on either side of her face. "Izzie, you need to stay very still, okay. You're attached to a lot of machines, so you can't move," he whispered.

"Baby?" she asked, eyes still closed.

"Maddie's fine. Can you open your eyes?" He asked her softly. She attempted to do as he asked, but the brightness of the room made her close them as soon as she opened them. "Okay, that's good."

"s'too bri ...bright." Her words were slurred, but Alex knew that it was to be expected after more than three years.

"I know. I'm sorry." He began looking at the monitors, trying to find anything different that would indicate why she was waking up, but he couldn't find anything. Pulling his cell phone from his pocket, he immediately dialed.

_"Derek Shepherd."_

"It's Alex. She awake."

* * *

"Now, can you squeeze my hands?" Alex, Robbie and Meredith all watched as Izzie made a weak attempt to do as Derek asked. "Good. That was really good. Now can you follow my finger with your eyes?"

Meredith stood off to the side, next to Robbie as her husband examined Izzie. If she admitted it, she wasn't her friend would ever wake up. She'd spent many afternoons sitting in this room watching the monitors, helping her with her "exercise" and changing her feeding tubes. Sad as it sounded, in her mind, Izzie was probably already gone. Yet, here she was following instructions and sitting up. The shock hadn't even begun to set in. Glancing to the doorway, she noticed it open slightly as Maddie peeked inside the room.

Thinking fast, Meredith quickly got the child out of the room and back into the hallway.

"Aunt Meredith, what's going on in Mommy's room?"

"Well, you know Uncle Derek has to come in a check on her occasionally." Not sure how Alex and Robbie wanted to handle this, she changed the subject as soon as she could. "How about a snack? You hungry?"

Maddie nodded and grabbed her aunt's hand and pulled her into the kitchen, suddenly rambling about the cupcakes that Nana Robbie had made the day before.

Back in the room, Derek was continuing his evaluation.

"I'm going to ask you some questions and I want you to try to answer, okay?" Izzie nodded a bit, clearly struggling to maintain concentration. "What's your name?"

"Izzie ... Stevens."

"Good. What is your birth date?"

"Um ... January ... the 15th?"

Derek nodded. "Right. Where were you born?"

"Washington."

"Do you remember the city?"

She thought hard for about a minute, but was unable to come up with anything. "N-not really."

"Okay, that's fine. How about that woman over there. Do you know who she is?"

A light smile came over her face. "Mom."

"Right. Now, that man beside her."

Izzie glanced over at him and then lowered her eyes back to her hands in her lap almost as if she was ashamed to look at him. "Alex."

"That's right. Izzie ..."

"Where's Maddie?"

"We told you sweetie," Robbie said as she moved closer to her own daughter. "Maddie's fine."

"As I was about to say," Derek started again, "I want to get you back up to the hospital so that we can run some tests. they probably won't give us all the answers we want, but we'll be able to check your overall health and then we'll probably get you into some rehabilitation for a while."

Though her voice wasn't strong, Izzie spoke up again. "Rehab? W-w-why?"

"Izzie, you've been in that coma for a long time. Your muscles are weak and you need professional help to get stronger again. They can also help with your motor skills, speech and concentration."

Thinking about this, she looked at her mother and then at Alex. "How ... how long was I out?"

When neither of the other two would speak up, Derek finally gave her the information that they knew would hurt her the worst. "Three and a half years."

That was all it took for her to break down in sobs. Her mother held her as she wept over the loss of that many years and the realization of how much time she had missed with her daughter. This went on for fifteen minutes, when finally, showing a glimmer of her old self, she dried her eyes, looked directly at Alex and whispered. "I ... I want to see her. Please."

* * *

He found her sitting at the table in the kitchen, across from Meredith. "Hi Daddy! Aunt Meredith let me eat three cupcakes!"

"Is that so?" He asked. She nodded, silly grin covered in bits of chocolate frosting. He knelt down to her level and looked her in the eye. "Maddie, I need to talk to you for a minute, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy."

"Do you remember how Nana Robbie and I told you that Mommy's just sleeping and that one day she might wake up?" The girl hesitantly nodded. "Well, she did."

"Mommy's awake!"

Grabbing her before she could jump from her chair and make a mad dash for the study, he stood up and lifted her into his arms."Whoa, kiddo. I need you to listen to me before you go see her, okay? She's still hooked up to machines, so just because she's awake doesn't mean you can start jumping on her bed or anything, okay? You need to be just as gentle as you were before." His daughter nodded. "Also, she may start to cry. I don't want that to upset you. She's crying because she's happy to be awake. But she also might be a little sad because you're so much bigger than the last time she saw you, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy. Can we go now?"

He smiled at her, working to keep his own emotions in check. With Meredith following behind, he carried Maddie into the study to find Derek and Robbie talking quietly on the opposite side of the room. Alex looked over at Izzie to find her eyes closed again. His mind immediately went to the worst possible place. That she had woken up only to go back into the coma. But at the sound of his footsteps, her eyes fluttered opened again. He let out a silent sigh of relief.

"Iz. Someone wants to see you." He sat Maddie on the side of the bed, where she obediently sat very still, but looked at her alert mother with wonder in her eyes.

"Oh ... my baby." Izzie's tears came again as she looked at her.

"Hi Mommy. I drewed you lots of pictures." She pointed to the wall where all of the drawings were taped up.

Unable to come up with the right word, Izzie just smiled as the tears continued to streak down her face.

"Can I hug you mommy?"

Alex quickly intervened, knowing that it would be awkward and difficult with all the wires, plus Izzie wasn't strong enough to even lift her arms."Why don't you hold Mommy's hand for right now, Maddie Boo."

"Okay." Maddie scooted closer to her mother and grabbed her hand. They sat like that for a while smiling at each other, and Alex knew that it was a picture he would never be able to get out of his mind. And he never wanted to.

* * *

**Chapter 5, complete. So Izzie's awake … now what? Her struggles are far from over, but she won't be going through them alone. **

**I really will try to get the next chapter up asap!**

**You know the drill... let me know what you think in the review section!**


	6. Chapter 6

**ADVENTURE IN FORGIVENESS  
**

**Chapter 6**

_**First, an apology: I am sorry this update took so long. My computer died, so I had to start from scratch for this chapter. So I hope you can forgive me.**_

_**Second: Seriously, you guys are amazing with the reviews. It really makes my day and encourages me to write more. I can't tell you how much it means to me to see those reviews rolling in. You all rock.**_

_**Hope you enjoy this next chapter, and if you do, please let me know in the review section.**_

* * *

The ride to Seattle Grace was longer than Izzie remembered, but Derek's continued questioning kept the trip from seeming endless. He sat next to the gurney, watching the monitors, looking for anything abnormal. "What all do you remember? Anything?"

She thought for a moment, still having difficulty concentrating and speaking. "Um... It was like being, uh, under ... under water. I could hear voices. Couldn't make out what they were saying. I could feel myself moving, but I had no control over it."

"That was probably the exercises we helped you with. Kept your muscles as active as possible. And we'd turn you regularly to help circulation," the neurosurgeon said, nodding slightly.

"Who?"

"Primarily it was Robbie and Alex, but we all took turns. Meredith, Cristina, Owen, Bailey, Callie, Arizona, Me. Occasionally some outside help. We just wanted you to get better."

She shifted uncomfortably. "How... um, how did I wind up at the house?"

"Meredith and I finished our place and we moved out. It's Alex's now. Robbie took his old room. Maddie has yours. It actually worked well because when Alex has to go to work, Robbie can look after you and Maddie."

"He's been supporting my whole family for nearly four years?" she asked, clearly shocked. "God, he must hate me."

Laughing lightly, Derek smiled down at her. "Izzie, Alex doesn't hate you. He cares about you. He always has. You know that. He is amazing with Maddie. I've never seen someone fall in love with a child so quickly as he did after the accident. It was a shock, I think after your mother told him everything, but he got past that and immediately went into daddy mode."

Izzie suddenly got quiet and couldn't hide the moisture in her eyes. Looking away to give her the moment, Derek knew that she just needed time to adjust. She was still the same determined young woman who worked through losing a fiance and who defied medicine by beating cancer. She'd survived a three-plus-year coma and come out of it seemingly much the same. She was a fighter and he knew that she just needed time.

* * *

"Want some company?"

Izzie looked up to find Meredith and Cristina entering the room. "Yeah. Come in." After four days in her private rehabilitation room, she was getting used to the constant line of visitors. Her coordination and memory were improving a little every day. Her speech was nearly back to normal, although still very raw. She was weak and would be for the foreseeable future. The women moved closer and she noticed the bundle in Cristina's arms. "Is this Leo?"

"This is him." Cristina maneuvered him to where Izzie could see him.

Lifting a shaking hand, she reached up to hold his chubby little fingers. "Hey little guy. Or big guy, really. I heard he weighed ten pounds at delivery?"

Cristina rolled her eyes. "Yeah. He gets that from Owen."

"You should have seen her in labor," Meredith giggled. "You'd have thought she was the victim of some ancient torture chamber. Too damned stubborn for her own good."

Izzie raised an eyebrow. "No epidural?

"Nope." Meredith shook her head.

"Brave woman."

"Or stupid." They both giggled as Cristina rolled her eyes and smiled down at the child in her arms. "Lydia and Tyler were both about 7 pounds 12 ounces. No way would I have tried either one without the drugs."

"Me either, and Maddie was only 6 pounds, 10 ounces."

Cristina narrowed her eyes at them. "You both suck."

Izzie looked back down and examined the child with his dark almond shaped eyes and black hair. "He looks like you, though. How... how old is he, exactly?

"He's three weeks old today," his mother said proudly.

Suddenly there were tears in Izzie's eyes and she couldn't keep them from falling down her face. Meredith saw them and wasn't sure what happened. "Iz ... ?"

"S...sorry. Maddie was three weeks old ... when ... when ..." she paused, catching her breath. "Can ... can you take him away? Please. Just for now?"

Cristina looked defensive for a minute, but then backed away, nodding. A worried look covered her face as she walked out the door.

Izzie choked back a sob. "I'm sorry Mere. I didn't mean to upset her. It's just ... seeing Maddie and then seeing Leo makes me realize how much I've missed. She's so much bigger than he is. I missed the milestones. All of them."

"Hey, Iz." Grabbing her friend's hand and sitting on the edge of the bed, Meredith tried to console her. "You're here now. That's what's important. And there are lots more milestones. You get to watch her grow up from now on. She's such a great kid. Alex and your mother have done such a great job with her."

Drying her tears, Izzie took a deep breath and began to speak slowly. "What is Alex like with her? With Maddie, I mean ... is he good with her? It's just ... they come by here, every day and it's awkward, but watching him with Maddie, it's a side of him I've never seen before. I mean I always knew he'd make a good father, but ..."

"Izzie, You have nothing to worry about. He is one of the best fathers I've ever seen. I wasn't sure when all of this happened at first, but he surprised me. He's patient and he listens to her. He disciplines her when she needs it, not that it happens often. He's honest with her."

At that moment, the door flew open and the top of a little blonde head could be seen over the top of the bed. "Look Mommy! My teacher let me use paints today at preschool. See!" Grinning, Maddie held up a piece of paper covered in an unrecognizable mix of blues and greens.

"It's beautiful, Maddie!"

"It's for you, Mommy!"

Alex appeared behind their daughter and smiled. "That's why we're running a little late. Somebody," he looked pointedly at Maddie, "didn't want to stop painting."

"It was fun, Daddy," she shrugged, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She walked over the Meredith, who picked her up and sat the child in her lap. She handed Izzie her painting. "You like it, Mommy?"

"I love it."

Alex watched the scene unfold until he couldn't anymore. He picked up Izzie's chart and began to scan it. Improved reps on the exercise machines, better lung capacity. All good news.

"You don't have to check that every time you walk into the room, you know."

He looked up to find his ex-wife glaring at him. "Sorry. Habit." He walked closer to her. "How are you feeling." It was awkward. Strange for both of them. While it had been four days, they hadn't had a chance to talk in private. They both knew it would have to come, but neither one of them was extremely excited at the prospect of pulling out the stitches on all those old wounds.

"Uh, better," she said, distractedly. "Definitely better. I'm ready to be out of here."

"Yeah, well, you've got another three weeks at least."

"Thanks for the reminder." She hadn't meant to sound cross, but it was harder keeping her emotions in check than it had been before the accident. Plus, he was Alex and she was Izzie and neither knew which way was up at the moment.

He knew when it was time to go. "Well ... my shift starts in twenty minutes, so I'll come back and check on you later, okay? Mere, you've got Maddie until Robbie gets here?"

Their friend nodded. "Yeah. I've got her."

* * *

The sound of a pen scrawling across paper greeted her as she woke in the middle of the night weeks later. She looked up, first out the window to a black, starless night, and then over at her former mentor seated in the chair to her left.

"Dr. Bailey?"

The older woman looked up from the chart she was writing on. "I thought you were asleep. You need your rest. Big day tomorrow."

Izzie half smiled at her before pressing the button to move the bed into a sitting position. "Sorry. I can't sleep."

Setting her pen down, Miranda Bailey looked concerned. "Am I keeping you awake?"

"No." the blonde shook her head. "I'm just … worrying."

"About getting released?"

Izzie sighed. "How did you know?"

"I'm Dr. Bailey. I really do know everything. Why can't you people just figure that out? Of course you're nervous. You've been away from real life for years. Since you woke up you've been here. Now you'll be on your own and vulnerable. It's just like any patient. Except you won't really be on your own. You'll have Maddie and your mother. And Alex." Izzie looked away at the mention of his name. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Bailey shot her a look that told her she didn't buy it. "Okay. Fine. I have no idea what he's thinking. I don't know if he wants me moving back into his place. I don't know if I should offer to try to repay him for everything he's done for me these past four years. I don't have a clue who he is anymore and I can't find a way to bring any of this up to him."

Bailey looked surprised at the admission. "You haven't talked to him?"

"Any time he is in here, it's like neither of us really knows what to say, so we talk about Maddie. Or he reads my chart. Whenever I get up the nerve to talk to him, he suddenly has a patient to check on."

"And if he's ready to talk, what excuse do you make," Bailey asked with eyebrows raised.

Izzie blushed, but answered honestly. "I act like I need to sleep."

The chair scraped the ground as it was moved closer to the bed. "You two have got to talk. You don't have a choice in the matter. You have a daughter together and once you're back in the real world, you have got to find a way to make it work. Otherwise, it will just go on being awkward and scary and then, knowing you two, it will explode and that won't be good for anyone. Not you, not Alex, and certainly not little Maddie."

Izzie nodded silently. Then she quietly spoke up. "I just feel like I've ruined his life. He didn't know that I used the embryos. He wasn't prepared to find out about Maddie and then he got stuck taking care of me, too. I'd resent me, too."

"Izzie Stevens. Look at me. I know that all of this is confusing. It's scary and nothing feels right. But you know what does feel right. Watching Alex Karev with his … with your … little girl. I watched him change her diapers. I watched him hold her when she fell and skinned her knee on the sidewalk outside this hospital. I've watched him hand off a big surgery to another doctor because she was at home running a fever. I promise you, he has never once resented you for having her and for bringing her to him. And he didn't resent you for falling into that coma because you are Maddie's mother and he'd do anything for you and for her. You have to know that. And you've got to talk to him about how you are feeling. Otherwise, you are going to feel like this for the rest of your life. And that's no way to live."

Closing her eyes, Izzie knew. Miranda Bailey was right. Yet again.

* * *

**So, not much Alex and Izzie in this chapter. But just know that the next chapter will be full of them. But the question is, will the talk that they have go the way they both want it to... You'll have to wait for chapter 7 to find out! :)**

**REVIEWS PLEASE!**


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